Latch-lock



J. WOLF.

LATCH LOCK.

APPLICATION man AUG-2, 1919.

1,336,496. I Patented Apr. 13,1920.

w/ r/vsssEs: IN VENTOR.

John Wo/f ATTORNEX UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WOLF, 0F TOPEKA, KANSAS.

LATCH-LOCK.

Original application filed April 21, 1919, Serial No. 291.571.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WOLF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latch-Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

The present is a division of my pending application for patent on trunks, Serial Number 291,571, filed April 21, 1919, being specifically directed to the latch-lock which secures the wardrobe section to the body section of the trunk. The object of the invention is to provide a latch-lock operable from the interior of the trunk to which access is had by first unlocking and opening the lid of the trunk, the lid in the present instance being hinged to the body section and secured to the wardrobe section by any suitable form of key-lock known to the trade. A further object is to provide a latch-lock which is simple, reliable, strong and durable, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a Wardrobe trunk showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged outside elevation of the latch-lock; Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; F i 4 is an enlarged horizontal section on t e line 4r4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing in addition the wall of the wardrobe section; Fig. 6 is an inside elevation of the latch-lock; and Fig. 7 is an inside view of the wall of the wardrobe section showing the elongated slot through which operates the terminal lifting finger of the tripping or pull rod.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the body portion or section of the trunk, 2 the wardrobe section, and 3 the top lid hinged to the section 1 and closing against the respective sections. The valance 4: secured to the wardrobe section protects the joint m between the sections 1 and 2, the valances 4 carried by the sides of the lid protecting the joints m between the lid and wardrobe section, the lid being locked to the latter section by any suitable form of keylock 5, all as fully understood in the art.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Divided and this application filed August 2,

Serial No. 314,960.

Secured to the wardrobe section 2 near the bottom of the trunk, opposite the hinge axis between the sections 1 and 2 (said sections being hinged in the back well understood in the art), is the latch-lock L (Fig. 1), the same being a keyless lock and operable only from the inside of the trunk after the lid 3 has been swung to open position. The lock comprises a casing or member 6 secured to the front of the wardrobe section adjacent the free vertical edge thereof, and a keeper member 7 secured to the section 1 in position to cooperate with the casing. The casing is provided with a bridge-piece or plate w spanning the open side of the casing and engaging the wall of the wardrobe section 2 (Fig. 5), said bridge-piece supporting one end of a pivot pin (Z extending across the casing, the opposite end of the pin being supported in the outer wall of the casing. Mounted pivotally on the pin (Z is the vertically oscillating latch 8 forming a lever of the first class. One arm of the latch lever terminates in a locking finger 72. which is normally held in engagement with the catch or keeper t of the member 7 by a flexed spring 9 bearing with its free end against the opposite arm of the latch, the fixed end of the spring being secured to the casing 6 at the side of one of the outer terminal tongues a, a, thereof, said tongues being received in the chamber 7) of the member 7 when the sections 1 and 2 are swung to closed position. The tongues a, a, serve to guide the latch into the chamber 6 and into locking position with the keeper with a closing movement of the wardrobe section, the coacting bevel faces of the latch and keeper permitting the latch to lock automatically with the keeper when the wardrobe section is fully closed.

As previously pointed out, the lock L is keyless and is operated from the inside of the trunk. For this purpose I provide a slidingtripping rod 10 held loosely to the wall of the section 2 by means of a series of straps 11, the lower end of the rod being bent outwardly to form an arm or lifting finger 10 traversing a vertically elongated slot 12 in the wall of said section 2, said finger bearing against the bottom edge of the spring-controlled lever arm of the latch 8, that is to say, the edge opposite from that engaged by the free end of the flexed spring 9. The upper end of the tripping rod is provided with a finger hold or eye 6 by which it may be manipulated. It is obvious that by seizing the eye '0 and pulling on the rod the finger 10 thereof will lift the adjacent lever arm of the latch thereby depressing the locking finger h and releas' ing thelatterfromthe keeper 6 (dotted position, Fig. 6). free to be swung to open position.- The rod 10 terminates at the top in close proximity tothe upper end of the Wardrobe section 2 so that the eye 6 thereof iswithin easy and" ready reach of the operator the moment'the lid 3 is swung: to open position. After the rod :10 is released the springwll of courserestores the latch to its normal position; and" \vhen'the Wardrobe section 2 is subsequently closed the inclined riding surfaces of-the finger h and keepert will permit the finger to pass behind the keeper, and automaticallylock therewith under the action of the spring 9 as Well understood in the art. Features shown but not alluded to are either Well known in the art or form subjecbmatter for independent applications for patent.

Obviously, the lock is not limited in its application to trunks, but may be used Wherever a latch-lock can be of service.

Having, described myinvention What" I claim is- A look of the character described com- This leaves the section 2 prisinga casing, a bridge-piece spanning the open side of the casing, a latch-lever of the first class pivotally mounted in the casing between the bridge-piece and outer Wall of the'easing and oscillating in the plane or" the bridge-piece, a locking finger at the free end of on'e armmf the latch-lever, tongues orfth e sides of the casing; projecting. beyond the openendof the casing", a flexed spring in the casing behind the bridge-piece having one end secured to the casingpn the inner side of oneof tlietoiigrlesf the' -free end-bf the spring bearing against-one side of the oppositelever armofthe lateh,--af trippingrod terminating at one end 1n 'a finger engaging.

the opposite side of said'lever 333111 17; keeper member, a chamber 1n the keeper' member for receiving and guidingithe tonguesandlatch lever of-thecasing,; and a catch-onthe keeper at the open side of the chamber thereof disposed across the 'planeof disposition of the tonguesfor 'engag'i'ngethe-loek ing' finger of the latch, $118 tongues being disposed in the; general planeof, and eX- 

